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There's so much AI-powered nonsense at CES that it's kind of refreshing to see a very straightforward, classic gadget like the Swippitt. It's a breadbox-sized hub that contains five battery packs that can fit into a a custom-made iPhone case. When the battery is in the case, it works like similar product, keeping your phone juiced up. The trick is that when the battery is empty, you pop your phone into the top of the box and it automatically removes the battery from the case and drops in a fresh one. Keeping our phones charged up is definitely a problem, but it's fair to ask whether Swippitt is an over-engineered (or possibly too expensive) solution. For $450 you get the Swippitt hub and five batteries, but you'll also need to purchase a separate $120 case for your iPhone. The team is making cases for the iPhone 14, 15 and 16 series and is also working on ones for Samsung as well. If you're intending this to be a family solution for multiple phones, things could get pricy fast. Nathan Ingraham for Engadget That said, there's something charming about having a little box that can just drop a fully-charged battery into your phone case in seconds. I wish you could see the inside and actually see the batteries change maybe we'll get a transparent model in the future. Naturally, there's also an app that'll let you check the status of all five batteries, whether they're in the charger or out being used. Parents can even get alerts for when their kids' phone drops below 15 percent. Probably the biggest challenge for Swippitt is keeping up with phones as they get slight tweaks and revisions every year that change their dimensions and, more importantly, their batteries. Phone batteries will surely keep getting larger and require more power to recharge, so Swippitt will have to stay on top of both case design and battery pack design. It feels like a lot to ask for a small start-up, but they've already contended with such changes Apple's addition of a dedicated camera button to the iPhone 16 series meant they had to quickly redesign the case. Nathan Ingraham for Engadget As for availability, Swippitt says it'll start shipping initial orders in April, but it expects it'll take a few months from there to get fully up to speed. And while the $450 price tag is steep, Swippitt is offering 30 percent off initial orders in January, plus you can grab a $100 off early CES discount through January 17, which considerably changes the financial equation. If you're hard on your phone's batteries and want to keep it juiced up without ever really giving it a thought, that convenience might be worth the cost.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/the-swippit-hub-keeps-your-iphone-loaded-up-with-fresh-batteries-041320116.html?src=rss
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At CES 2025, MSI is launching a huge lineup of upgraded laptops with various specs that cater to an array of budgets. But of everything, one system stood out and if you take even a quick look at it, I think you can see why. As part of MSIs Titan Series, not only is the Titan 18 HX the biggest and most powerful system the company makes. However, the special Dragon Edition features a ton of unique design traits that ensure it will never get lost in a crowd. On its lid is a hand-drawn close-up of a scaled monster (no AI art here) which was then acid-etched into the aluminum resulting in an incredibly detailed and textured surface. You're literally staring into the eye of the beast. But it doesnt stop there because there are also Norse-inspired runes carved into its lid along with an RGB-lit logo. Meanwhile on the inside, theres a metallic ring and a dragon sculpture embedded beneath the deck that MSI says was created using advanced 3D printing and layering techniques. And in case that isnt enough, the touchpad also features customizable RGB lighting, because hey, its still a gaming laptop. The Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition isnt all show and no go though, as it features top-of-the-line components including next-gen Intel HX series processors, NVIDIA RTX 5090 graphics, PCIe Gen 5 SSD storage, Wi-Fi 7 and a total device power of 270 watts. MSI also included a vapor chamber to help keep thermals in check while the massive 18-inch mini LED display features VESA DisplayHDR 1000 certification and a 120Hz refresh rate. Even the keyboard has been tweaked to include low-profile mechanical Cherry MX switches to deliver a thoroughly desktop-like experience but in a package that you can still (sort of) carry around. The Titan HX Dragon Edition is also part of a bundle that includes a matching wyrm-themed mouse, desk pad and packaging. Sadly, because of certain embargo restrictions from MSIs partners, I wasnt allowed to power on the Titan 18 HX to see if its performance truly matches its roaring appearance. On top of that, MSI has yet to reveal official pricing or availability, though that last part might be a big deal as this system is clearly intended only for people with the heart (and wallet) of a dragon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/the-msi-titan-18-hx-dragon-edition-is-fierce-as-hell-040055155.html?src=rss
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While parent company Dell is doing a big rebrand of its entire PC portfolio, at CES 2025 Alienware is sort of returning to its roots by bringing back the classic Area-51 name back for its new flagship laptop line. Available in 16- and 18-inch versions, the resurrected Area-51 gaming notebooks feature what Alienware is calling a brand-new industrial design. Though if you look closely, you can see some similarities to existing systems like the x14 and x16. Both models sport a striking anodized liquid teal paint job with an almost iridescent quality. Around back, the companys Aurora lighting has been integrated into the rear of the system to create a striking gradient effect on the laptops thermal shelf. And as before, you still get plenty of customizable RGB lights on the inside including behind both the touchpad and keyboard. But the Area-51 laptops most distinctive feature might be its bottom, where Alienware has installed a Gorilla Glass window with an integrated vent to help manage airflow while also giving you a peek at the hardware inside. The company claims that thanks to its new thermal architecture, Area-51 laptops have 35 percent better airflow while being 15 percent quieter than before. Theres also a new hinge design thats meant to hide exterior components while still allowing for easy access and stability. Naturally, as Alienwares latest flagship gaming laptops, the new Area-51 notebooks should offer top-notch performance thanks to support for up to Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPUs, 64GB of RAM (at up to 7200 MT/s, the highest yet on any Alienware laptop), 12 TB of PCIe Gen 5 SSD storage and next-gen NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPUs. More specifically, both models can handle up to 175 watts of total graphics power with an additional 105 watts dedicated to the CPU. Unfortunately, the devices I played around with were mostly locked down, so I wasnt able to play games or meaningfully test their processing power. That said, as the two launch systems for a new generation of laptop design, theres a lot to like about Alienwares revamped Area-51 laptop line. I absolutely love the new color, which is closer to emerald than teal in my opinion. Meanwhile, having up to 280 watts of total device power means theres no shortage of computing oomph. I even like the glass panel on the bottom, though I do wonder how much extra weight that added compared to sticking with aluminum like on the rest of the system. Thats because at 7.6 pounds for the 16-inch model or a whopping 9.8 pounds for the 18-inch version, these things definitely arent light. The other concern is that with high-end launch configurations starting at $3,199 when they go on sale sometime in Q1, theyre not exactly affordable either. However, Alienware says that less expensive entry-level models will arrive later starting at a more reasonable price of $1,999.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/alienware-revived-its-area-51-laptops-with-serious-performance-and-far-out-designs-040038956.html?src=rss
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